


Body Image

by championofnone



Series: The Shepard Chronicles [1]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Gen, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-01
Updated: 2016-06-01
Packaged: 2018-07-11 16:53:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7061221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/championofnone/pseuds/championofnone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack eventually talks Shepard into getting something besides a multitude of scars.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Body Image

“Jack, where the hell are we?”

The biotic laughed at the concerned look on Carrine Shepard’s face. “Relax, Shepard, it’s just a body shop.” 

“Coming from you, that could mean a morgue.”

“Have a little faith.”

Jack rapped on the door twice, and the manual door opened. A stout, balding man blinked before he grinned at Jack. “Ah, my friend! It is good to see you again!” Carrine was surprised by the Russian accent, and only raised an eyebrow at her friend as the man patted Jack lightly on her bicep. “It’s been too long. Do you even have any room left?”

Jack laughed. “Nah, this canvas is all prettied up. My friend here wants a go.” 

“Jack, you’re the one who dragged me here,” Carrine replied. “Using blackmail is not me willingly going somewhere.”

Jack shot her a toothy grin as the man laughed. “It’s not so bad, really. We are a group with many talents.” 

As the two talked, Carrine began taking in the details of the shop. Old-fashioned leather-backed chairs were anchored down along one wall, with curtains curving around each for a sense of privacy. Despite the dingy appearance of the front door, the shop was almost as clean as the Normandy’s med-bay and just as well lit. A few paint splatters were scattered across the tile floor and there was no space on the walls not covered with art of some kind. 

“So, Shepard, yes?” the man said, getting Carrine’s attention. “What is it you wanted to get?”

She rolled up the sleeve of her jacket just past her elbow. “I was thinking some names along the inside of my arm, right about here,” she said, laying her pointer finger just under her elbow. “Nothing complicated.” 

“Yes, yes, that’s just fine,” he nodded, turning her arm to look. “What names? Family members? Pets?”

“The three places I’ve died.” 

The man looked up at her, brown eyes a little more critical as he studied her face. “I see,” was all he said as he released her arm. “I’ll have my best letter artist come off her break, just give me a few minutes.” 

Jack snorted as Carrine shrugged her jacket off and laid it on the couch by the door. “’The places I’ve died?’ Really, Shepard? Do you ever realize the shit you say is fucking weird sometimes?”

Carrine shrugged. “Doesn’t really matter if they believe me or not. If they can put two and two together they know who I am. Surprised I can hear his accent, though.”

“Modded translator,” a new voice provided. Carrine looked up to the blonde woman who’d entered the room. Her tank top did little to cover her broad shoulders that were covered in colorful tattoos, as were her arms. She smiled at the two as she motioned them to come over to her station. “We only work on humans here, and Victor figures the accent’ll make the the place feel more authentic, more Earth-like than the Citadel really is.”

“I was wondering why I didn’t see any other species around.”

“Alien skin types are totally different from human, and some take a lot longer to figure out how to work with than others,” she explained. “It’s easier to just have specialized shops. There’s a turian place not far from here if I remember right.” She covered the chair with a film of plastic and added a padding wrap to the right arm before motioning for Carrine to sit. “I’m Nila, and I’ll be drawing up your tattoo today.”

“Shepard,” Carrine nodded, rolling her shoulders in an attempt to relax them. Jack snorted at her again. “I’m not doing anything complicated.”

“That’s just fine, you military types usually don’t.” She said, handing Carrine a piece of paper and a pen. “Write down the names you want and in what order and we’ll pick a font for them.” She got to work quickly before handing the paper back over. “Mindoir, Akuze, and Alchera?” Nila squinted at her. “You don’t happen to be _Commander_ Shepard, do you?” 

Jack laughed as Carrine signed. “Yeah, I am. You had me pegged military before you realized that?”

Nila shrugged. “Military members carry themselves in a way most people don’t. Like your friend over there.” She nodded at Jack as she scanned  the paper into their computer, swiveling the screen so Carrine could see the font list that came up. “Scroll through here for a minute or two and find the one you like, then I’ll start the transfer and stencil.” 

Carrine looked, and ended up picking three fonts. Mindoir’s most resembled her mother’s handwriting, and Akuze Anderson’s; she chose the one most similar to Joker’s for Alchera. He’s the family she died saving there, anyway, and it fit with her theme. Nila printed them, and once the transfer had begun, the tattoo was underway.

Jack leaned over opposite where Nila was working to stare. “Sure you don’t want a second one while we’re here?”

“No, Jack, I don’t.”

“You should,” she grinned. 

“Jack -”

“I’m just saying -”

“Jack,” Nila interrupted, “if you make my client move, I’m going to give you an exceptionally hard time next time you get a piercing redone.” The biotic grumbled, but leaned back against the counter. “Thank you.” 

“I’m surprised you don’t have more traffic,” Carrine said, watching black lines fill a once-empty space. “It’s not like you’re out of the way or anything.”

“Your friend made an appointment a few weeks ago,” Nila explained. Jack ignored the questioning look Carrine sent her, staring at a fascinating splatter on the floor. “We closed early so you wouldn’t have to deal with anyone. Jack’s been here so much we didn’t mind the favor.” 

“Really, now?” she said, grinning. “Jack, I’m surprised at you, being all nice like that.”

“Fuck you, Shepard,” was the only reply she got. 

“We figured you wouldn’t want an audience,” Nila continued, wiping off a few drops of ink that had dripped from the gun as she moved down to the second line of letters. “Jack only said her friend was military, and believe me when I say we were all surprised to hear that one.” 

“Technically I’m - well, I’m undercover right now.” She almost slipped up, _I’m not military anymore_ , but… “I’m mostly going by my Spectre status these days.” 

“Still, it means you’re a respectable person, not the kind that Jack usually runs around with. It’s a nice change.”

“Hey!” Jack protested. “I’ve always been mostly respectable.”

Nila smiled. “I said the ones you ran with Jack, not you.”

“Yeah, well.” She turned, staring pointedly at the wall next to them. “Shut up. I’m gonna go talk to Victor.”

The blonde shook her head as Jack walked towards the back of the shop, hollering for the owner. “She’s been coming here since she was, what, seventeen or something? Snuck onto the Citadel and demanded we do something to cover up that awful vivisection scar. We’ve tried to keep an eye on her whenever she comes to the station ever since.” 

“I’m glad at least someone looked out for her, because I doubt she was doing it for herself,” Carrine agreed, watching the last few letters get inked. 

“This was the first time I haven’t heard Victor all worried when she came around. You’re good with her.”

Carrine frowned. “She’s not a child.”

“No, she isn’t, I phrased that poorly.” Nila paused for a minute, thinking. “She isn’t, but all she’s known has been harsh and brittle and that’s no way to grow up. She’s softer around you, like she feels like she’s allowed to mess up and not be threatened because of it.”

She raised an eyebrow at the artist. “That’s a pretty insightful comment.”

“Jack talks a lot when she’s drunk.” 

“That explains it.”

Nila turned the gun off and set it up on the counter before cleaning up around Carrine’s tattoo. “I’m just glad she’s friends with someone with their head on straight.”

“Are you done yet?” Jack yelled, coming out of the back office with Victor. 

“Just gotta wrap it up,” Nila replied, putting clear plastic wrap around the tattoo before sealing it with medical tape. “All done.” 

Carrine stared at the neat lines now  wrapped around her arm. If she couldn’t forget before, she’d have them with her forever, now. “Thanks. How much do I owe you?”

Victor laughed. “You are Commander Shepard, and you’re Jack’s friend. No worries, there’s no charge.”

“Sir, please -”

“Shepard, shut up,” Jack said, pulling her other arm to yank her near the door. “You guys are great.” 

“Be good, Jack,” Nila called out as she pushed the door open, waving her hand in response. she dragged Carrine outside before she could argue, and declared they were going to the noodle shop before going back to the ship.

Carrine let herself be dragged, and made a mental note to thank them again somehow. But right now, she was going to out eat Jack in spicy noodles. 


End file.
